Portable sanitary device

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a portable sanitary device comprising a sanitary device with removable water supply mechanisms and removable waste holding and removal mechanisms. The mechanisms include one or more tanks removably attached to the sanitary device and function to allow a user to wash or flush after a use and circulate waste material into a waste holding and removal tank. Alternative embodiments provide flanges and valve systems.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/710,743 filed Aug. 24, 2005, the entire contents of which areherein incorporated by reference.

FIGURE SELECTED FOR PUBLCIATION

FIG. 1

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable sanitary device. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a portable sanitarydevice enabling washing and having at least one or more removable watersupply tanks and wastewater holding tanks.

2. Description of the Related Art

The related art involves and discloses a wide variety of portablesanitary devices. These portable sanitary devices are well-known tothose traveling on the interstate or visiting job sites (e.g.,“port-a-Johnny”) and in various camping type toilet apparatus.

What is not appreciated by the prior art is need to flush after usingthe portable sanitary device in a manner related to existingfixed-installation toilet systems, wherein a water flush is provided forwaste movement. It is also not appreciated by the known travel orchamping toilets to provide an optional cleansing sprits to a user or topre-move and pre-dilute waste prior to a final flush. The presentapplication provides a unique way to combine portability, sanitaryoperation, and ready flushing after use for.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved portable sanitary deviceenabling rapid flushing and re-supply of water, and removal of awaste/holding tank after use for later cleaning and reuse.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable sanitarydevice to facilitate and respond to the needs noted above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portablesanitary device having at least one or more removable water tanks thatenable ready storage and refilling for easy and simple transport.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portablesanitary device including a removable waste matter/holding tank enablingthe ready removal of said tank from the portable sanitary device forready emptying, cleaning, and sterilization.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portablesanitary device having a compact flushing and waste transport system aswell as a compact bidet system. For example, a water-receiving areaproximate a seating area may be easily curved to direct and circulatewater to remove and wash waste from an initial deposit zone into a wasteholding tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portablesanitary device enabling the use of toilet tissue following use and thetransport of the used toilet tissue in a wastewater and holding tank forready disposal and cleaning.

The present invention relates to a portable sanitary device having aremovable fluid supply tank along a back upright portion of a chair anda waste fluid holding tank releasably attachable to a seat portion of achair member for operation in relation thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a water transportflange and system for receiving wash water, flushing-washing-circulatingthe water, and transporting the now-used wash water to waste holdingtank.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description read inconduction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals designate the same elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a rear-perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view along face I-I in FIG. 2 (backremoved) noting internal construction in a portable use condition.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view along face I-I in FIG. 2 (backremoved) noting an internal construction in a semi-fixed use condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of theinvention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawingsand the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. Thedrawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. Forpurposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such astop, bottom, up, down, over, above, and below may be used with respectto the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not beconstrued to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words“connect,” “couple,” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemesdo not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections, but alsoinclude connections through mediate elements or devices.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a portable sanitary device 100 includesa seat member 4 pivotably affixed to a chair frame member 1 havingopposing arm members 3, 3, and leg members 2. Portable sanitary device100 further includes a back member 31 positioned at an angle adjacent toseat 5 for slidably supporting and retaining a removable tank member 10within sliding channels 30, as shown.

Water tank member 10 is removably attached to a back location of backplate or back member 31 via a plurality of sliding channels 30. At leasta first waste fluid and waste matter holding tank 7 is releasablypositioned below seat 4. Slidable guides 5 engage projecting lip members5A on tank 7. A handle 8 allows a user to slidably remove tank 7 forcleaning and re-use, as will be described. It is preferable that tank 7include a waste opening 9 having a slidable/openable waste door 16A thatis actuated by a lever assembly 50 projecting from a side of seat member4. During a sliding installation of tank 7 along guides 5, engagementmembers on a top surface of tank 7 (not shown) engage an end of leverassembly 50 so as to enable a user to operate waste door 16A as desired.

Seat 4 defines a bounded opening 6 for receiving waste material duringuse of portable sanitary device 100 and is arranged to open directlyover tank 7 unit opening 9 for receiving waste through a slidable wastedoor 16A, as will be discussed.

As noted best in FIG. 1, waste door 16A is slidable along guides (notshown) in a direction A to seal opening 16A for easy removal andtransport of waste tank 7.

An opening 16 is formed in a side wall of seat opening 6, as shown, andincludes a small spritz member (tube) directable along a direction notedby a water or spritz-guide 16B positioned in seat opening 6. As aconsequence of this design, a user may choose to direct the spritzupwardly for self cleaning or along direction guide 16B to aid incleaning and flushing of waste on a top of waste door 16A (when notopened prior to use) or downwardly into waste unit 7 as a flushing aid.

As a consequence of the present design, it is envisioned thatsubstantial improvements over the related art is provided by the use ofa sealable and removable waste unit 7 having an actuatable waste door16A and an engageable level 50 for operation.

Outer water unit 10 includes three reservoirs, a central reservoir 11for initially storing flush water, a flush reservoir 22 for storing mainflush water, and a spritz or cleansing cavity reservoir 15 for storingspritz water or flush water, as will be discussed.

A central filling opening 12 is formed in tank 10 for refilling waterand a sealable plug (not shown) may seal opening 12 for easy transportwhen tank 10 is removed from back plate 31.

One way openings 13, 14 allow flush water to flow from main tank 11 tospritz tank 15 and flush tank 22 as will be discussed. During suchmotion, the water level in main tank 11 decreases along direction 21.

Flush mechanism 23 is slidably positioned with flush tank 22 andincludes a sealing plate 24 with edge seals 24A. Sealing plate 24 andedge seals 24A provide a wall-tight/water-tight seal with the walls offlush tank 22.

It is envisioned, that during an initial fill process, central tank 11is filled via opening 12 until a level 90 is reached, which in turnflows through openings 13, 14 to reach an equilibrium pressure levelwithin respective tanks 15, 22.

Due to seal 24,24A and resistance plunger 23 provides, a water level isretained in flush tank 22 despite repeated spritz-uses or small flushesgenerated flowing from spritz tank 15. As a consequence, while waterlevel 21 may decrease prior to a re-filling, initial flush tank 22retains its initial flush-full condition.

Similarly, in spritz or minor-flush tank 15, a valve and tube assembly19 is provided and receives an initial fluid fill to fill tube 19A dueto the water filling the initial tube and passing by a juncture withspritz valve tube assembly 18 linked with a spritz activator mechanism17 projecting from a top of tank 10.

During a common use, one should expect that a user will actuate spritzactivator mechanism 17 multiple times to repeatedly trigger valve tubeassembly 18 to release small amounts of spritz or flushing water downtube 19A through tube 20, to portal 16. Due to the lower volumesreleased by assembly 18, it is envisioned that tube 19A may hold as manyas 5 spritzes for each large flush provided via plunger 23.

As also noted, a flush portal 25 is provided opposite one-way opening 14for transporting flush water down tube 27 to a rear access portal 28 inwaste tank 7 for ease of cleaning. In use, it is envisioned that a userwill push downwardly on plunger 23 along the Force direction (FIG. 3) toseal one-way valve 14 and force flushing water out portal 25 throughone-way seal 28. Following the force of flushing water, one-way seal 28will close preventing back-flow up pipe 27.

Thereafter, a user will refill tank 10 fully and will lift plunger 23 todraw water through one-way opening 14 to prepare for the next flush.

In an alternative assembly, a seal 26 may be fixed over flush port 25,and a user may replace one-way seal 28 with an inverse one-way seal 28Aallowing waste to continuously flow down a collector pipe 29 in a mannermore closely related to a long-term positioning. In this mode, it isenvisioned that spritzing will be more common and that system 100 willbe merely used for fluid not solid waste therefore obviating the needfor a large-volume flush capacity.

Following a flush or empting use of tank 10, a user will simply lifttank 10 along channels 30 from back support plate 31 and transport it toa filling station. Alternatively, a user may simply fill tank 10 inplace via portal 12 opening.

Both said tanks are projected to be self-contained bounded regionsconstructed from high density poly propylene or other suitable material.It is also envisioned that the tanks may be further sub-divided intovarious holding regions within each tank. Access valves and drain valvesare considered to be included in the tank in reasonably accessible areasand further in a manner which enable the ready sterilization of both thewater tank and the waste/holding tank during a cleaning cycle.

According to one alternative in aspect of the present invention thewater tank 10 includes a lever or actuating mechanism that when pulledreleases water through a simple ball valve or alternative spray/bidetdispensing mechanism. According yet to another alternative embodimentthere is a sliding trap similar to guide 16B that operates to receivereleased water and slidably guide the water and waste into holding tank7 in a manner similar to that of a flushing commercial toilet. Anotheralternative embodiment of the present invention anticipates that holdingtank 7 may alternatively include a waste treatment chemical or wastedisposal chemical wherein the chemical enables rapid disposal of thewaste and possibly toilet tissue and similarly pacifies any organic orbiologically active matter retained therein.

It is known that chemicals exist, for example, AQUA ZUME®, as an aid indecomposition and pacification of the organic matter. It is thereforeconsidered by inventors of the present portable sanitary device that aquick dissolving and biodegradable tissue may be optionally used forthis device, as well as regular tissue, and additionally that wasteholding tank 7 may be preloaded with some amount of waste-fluiddecomposition and pacification chemical prior to a use to mitigatesmells, and other biological activity between through cleanings.

As a consequence of the above described invention for a portablesanitary device it is believed that the present invention responds to atleast one of the needs noted above in a manner that is unique to theportable sanitary device arts.

In any future claims, the claims, means- or step-plus-function clausesare intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein asperforming the recited function and not only structural equivalents butalso equivalent structures. Thus, for example, although a nail, a screw,and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies onfriction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface, a screw'shelical surface positively engages the wooden part, and a bolt's headand nut compress opposite sides of a wooden part, in the environment offastening wooden parts, a nail, a screw, and a bolt may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures.

Having described at least one of the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to those preciseembodiments, and that various changes, modifications, and adaptationsmay be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A portable sanitary device, comprising: a first frame assemblysupporting a seat member and a back member; said back member projectingfrom said seat member and including a back plate portion and a pluralityof receiving means for storing a tank; said seat member including a seatopening proximate a central region thereof; at least a first removablefluid tank for storing a fluid sidably engaged with said plurality ofreceiving means for storing said tank, whereby said fluid tank isdisengeably affixed to said back member during a human use and isremovable during periods of non-use for refilling and transport; atleast a first removable rigid waste tank for receiving user-waste and aflush wash during a use; at least a first tank opening in said wastetank proximate said seat opening on said seat member for receiving wastepassing through said seat opening; means for removably mounting saidrigid waste tank on said seat member enabling an easy removal of saidwaste tank; flush means for urging a flush volume from said fluid tankto said waste tank during said use; and spritz means for enabling a userselection of a spritz volume from said fluid tank during said use,whereby said spritz volume enables a user to select one of a cleansingspritz wash and a waste removal spritz wash.
 2. A portable sanitarydevice, further comprising: at least a first waste door on said wastetank; said waste door selectably closing said first tank opening duringnon-use whereby said waste tank is sealed to minimize odor; and levermeans for selectively opening and closing said waste door and engagingsaid waste tank in a use position.
 3. A portable sanitary device,according to claim 2, further comprising: means for actuating a spritzfluid volume release; said means including at least a first useractuator for enabling said spritz fluid release; and means for dividingsaid fluid tank into at least a first flush volume, whereby said meansfor dividing preserves said flush volume of fluid in a ready volumedespite other uses of said fluid in said fluid tank.
 4. A portablesanitary device, according to claim 2, further comprising: at least afirst and a second arm support assembly proximate said seat member,whereby said portable sanitary device may provide safe support for anaged or infirm user.
 5. A portable sanitary device, according to claim4, further comprising: pivot means for pivotably connecting said backmember to said seat member; and said pivot means including means forposition said back member in close proximately to said seat member forready storage.
 6. A portable sanitary device, according to claim 4,further comprising: means for collapsing said first and second armsupport assemblies relative to said frame assembly, whereby saidportable sanitary device is readily reduced in outer volume to enableready storage.
 7. A portable sanitary device, according to claim 1,wherein: said means for removably mounting said waste tank include atleast one of a set of sliding guides, a roller-bearing assembly, a pullhandle, and a roller-stop safety assembly means for preventingunintended waste tank separation.
 8. A portable sanitary device,according to claim 3, further comprising: a back-flow prevention door insaid means for dividing, whereby said back-flow prevention doorprohibits a loss of said flush volume prior to an intended use thereof.9. A portable sanitary device, according to claim 8, further comprising:a plunging member; and said plunging member operable relative to saidfirst flush volume in said fluid tank, whereby during said use, saidplunging member moves relative to said fluid tank to remove the fluidthere from in a flush action.